Seismic Source Conical Housing Baffles Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine seismic surveys face restrictions due to environmental concerns about sound levels affecting marine fauna, leading to spatial and temporal limitations, and existing air gun arrays release side-propagated sound energy and source ghosts that complicate seismic data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A conical-shaped housing for seismic source elements with baffles and vents to control bubble expansion and reduce side-propagated sound energy, combined with a vacuum cavity to minimize sound energy transfer and improve signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If air guns are activated at different times with short time intervals, then the seismic survey can be completed faster, but the water column becomes filled with air bubbles from previous activations which creates complex and unpredictable effects on the wavefield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes air bubbles from the water column using a bubble removal system that actively pumps bubbles out of the vicinity of air guns. This allows rapid sequential activation of air guns while maintaining clean water conditions, thus achieving both high productivity and reliable wavefield estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary bubble removal system between the air guns and the water column. This intermediary system actively manages the bubble population, preventing bubbles from interfering with subsequent air gun activations while enabling rapid survey completion.
2Power
If air guns release sound energy in all directions, then the seismic wavefield can be generated, but side-propagated sound energy and source ghosts complicate the seismic data acquisition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a localized bubble-free zone around each air gun using active bubble removal. This localized treatment ensures that sound energy propagates cleanly in the desired direction while minimizing side-propagated energy and source ghosts, improving data acquisition quality without sacrificing wavefield generation power.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces side-propagated sound energy, minimizes source ghosts, enhances signal bandwidth, and allows for focused energy output, thereby improving the quality and accuracy of seismic data acquisition while mitigating environmental impacts.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum cavity to minimize sound energy transfer
Implementation Method 2
control bubble expansion and reduce side-propagated sound energy
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is related generally to marine surveying. An apparatus for generation of seismic waves in a body of water may include a wave generator. The apparatus may further include a housing defining an internal chamber having an open end. The housing may include baffles positioned between the open end and the wave generator. The housing may further include a vent positioned on an opposite end of the housing from the baffles.